Li Ding's original name was Li Shouhai. He was from Jining, Shandong Province, and a retired cadre of the China Children's Art Theater. He made his first appearance on stage in 1946 in the public performance of the play "Inspector". In 1956, he became a member of the Chinese Dramatists Association. Li Ding was an indispensable "green" in many film and television works. The 82-year-old artist passed away in 2009.